A variety of trucks and trailers are used to transport material such as earth, woodchips or packaged products. To prevent such materials from becoming waterlogged or otherwise damaged by rain water, it is desireable to cover the load carrying portion of the transport vehicle with a tarpaulin. Also, for obvious safety reasons it is desireable to cover loads of materials to prevent spillage during transport which can present hazardous conditions to other users of the roadways, such as in the case of dumptrucks hauling earth and rock to and from construction sites. Furthermore, in the case of lightweight materials, such as woodchips or sawdust, that are readily conveyed into the slipstream surrounding a moving vehicle, it is desirable to cover the load to prevent loss of product which can be substantial on longer trips at freeway speeds.
It is not uncommon to see a tarpaulin tied down with ropes or the like over the bed of a truck or the dumpbox on a dumptruck in an attempt to remedy the problems described above. However, there are drawbacks associated with this approach. First, it can be quite inconvenient and difficult to spread out the tarpaulin in the first place, especially on tall trucks, so it is common to see trucks with tarpaulins left in a stowed position by the user. Secondly, worn ropes or poorly tied knots can result in the tarpaulin becoming partially or completely pulled away from its moorings. This potential result is dangerous in its own right where a wildly flapping or completely free tarpaulin can distract other drivers o otherwise interfere with their driving. Thirdly, no effective method for providing a pitch to the tarpaulin to encourage rainwater runoff is known that does not interfere with the deployment or retraction of the tarpaulin or result in pooling of rainwater.